Attorney General Ken Paxton routs veteran incumbent Cornyn in Texas Senate primary

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Attorney General Ken Paxton routs veteran incumbent Cornyn in Texas Senate primary1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAnthony ZurcherNorth America correspondentStewart F. House/Getty ImagesTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeated Senator John Cornyn in a Republican run-off primary on Tuesday night. While the outcome had been expected for weeks, it marks a stunning defeat for an incumbent who served in Congress for 23 years, including 12 years as a high-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership team.

The bruising contest set a record for the most expensive Senate primary campaign in US history. It also sets up what will be a closely watched contest in November's general election between Paxton and his Democratic opponent, state legislator James Talarico. The outcome of that race will help determine whether Democrats can win back control of the US Senate for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency.

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Many Democrats have viewed Paxton as the weaker of the two candidates and relish what they believe is an opportunity to flip a Senate seat in a state with a long history of electing Republicans. Seemingly confident of his impending primary victory, Paxton, 62, already has begun pivoting toward his general election matchup, airing television adverts over the past week attacking his opponent as a left-wing extremist. Polls indicated a tight race in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.

It's been 46 years since at least two incumbent senators were felled by voters in their own party in the same election cycle. Just 10 days ago, Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy failed to even reach his party's run-off primary, finishing behind two Republican challengers – the political equivalent of lightning striking in the same spot twice. Both Cornyn and Cassidy faced off against candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump.

But that's where the similarities largely end. Unlike Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his 2021 Senate impeachment trial, Cornyn was a party loyalist who touted his ties to the president. While he was slow to endorse Trump's 2024 re-election bid, he faithfully toed the Republican line throughout his time in the Senate.

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In the first round of balloting in March, he finished slightly ahead of Paxton, 42. 8%, but short of the 50% necessary to avoid a run-off. The day after that vote, it appeared that Trump might endorse Cornyn – a popular figure among Senate Republicans due to his prolific fundraising and prior leadership in the chamber.

That endorsement never came, however. Paxton, while beset with personal and political scandals over the years, was a favourite among Trump's populist base in Texas. He campaigned against the 74-year-old Cornyn as too old, too timid, too aligned with the political establishment and too out-of-touch with Texas conservatives.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.